Little Soul Wines
A Tale of Art, Travel and Passion
I’ve always loved the name, Alma. The word comes from the Latin word “almus,” which means "kind," "fostering," or "nourishing,” and it translates to “soul” in Spanish. I had hoped to someday give my own daughter the name Alma and in 2019, my husband and I welcomed our first child, a girl, named Alma Lou Lonborg.
Now, I have a confession to make—I'm a nomad at heart. I believe taking ourselves out of normal day-to-day routines allows us to unplug in a way that nothing else quite can. Traveling feeds my soul and when Alma was just five months old, we took her on a month-long trip to Oaxaca where all the locals immediately fell in love with her and started calling her “Almita” (“Little Soul”)—and it stuck!
As we navigated a flimsy umbrella stroller down the cobblestone streets of Oaxaca City, we stumbled on an unassuming shop where something hidden behind the counter caught my eye. It was a print of a drunken skeleton that cost vente-cinco pesos. We promptly scooped up the special piece to bring home, and thus our Vente-Cinco Rosé label was born. Unbeknownst to me at the time, this artwork was actually a well-known calavera, or piece of Mexican skull art. Known as El Borracho (“The Drunk”), this particular calavera was drawn by a political illustrator named Jose Guadalupe Posada who lived in Mexico between 1852-1913.
For me, nurturing a relationship with art is like connecting with a friend. It allows me to feel more fully human. Growing up in Mendocino, I was lucky to be surrounded by an amazing community of friends and artists. One of my closest friends, Sara Franco, created a beautiful 15”x15” woodprint piece of a 1980’s boombox titled “Old School.” This framed print hangs above our record player to this day. I’ve always said, “If I ever decide to make my own wine, this will be one of my labels,” so it seemed only fitting to pair this print with my Carbonic Pinot Noir as I stepped back to Beaujolais to use an old school style of winemaking.
Much like my friendships, my connection to travel and art has greatly shaped Little Soul Wines. In 2020, when I was ready to bring Little Soul to the public I commandeered Maya Heffler, an amazing watercolor artist and my best friend since birth, to create my custom Little Soul logo and labels. The website and mailing list were built and compiled by Brenda Davis, another dear friend. I am forever grateful for the incredibly talented women in my life as well as their unending support for my passion project.
Every time I look at a Little Soul Wine, it makes me smile. It fully embodies the beautiful intersection of all the things I love: family, friends, art, and travel. This is truly a passion project of creating wines I love without boundary.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for taking the time to get to know me and I hope you enjoy my wines.
Salud,
Molly Lonborg
Winemaker & Proprietor, Little Soul Wines